Bangkok: Jan. 19 -- (BNA) The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra defended today her choices for a new cabinet reshuffle and said that her new cabinet includes ten new appointments and six ministerial portfolios replacements in order to beef up efficiency of her government.

Mrs. Shinawatra added that there is no problem with the appointing of the new ministers especially as regards cabinet minister Nallinee Taveesin.

Thailand's premier has defended her appointment of a cabinet minister who is on a US-treasury blacklist owing to alleged business links with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe

The cabinet reshuffle also promoted Nattawut Saikuar, a leader of the "Red Shirts" protest movement, to the post of deputy agriculture minister.

The newly appointed ministers are expected to be sworn-in before HM King Bhumibol Aduldyadej later today.